Lamp-controlling device for motor-cars.



W. A. GREENLAW, LAMP CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILQ, 19 10.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

To all it may concern:

WARREN A. GREENLAND OF MELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHU'SII'T'JYLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, LAMP-CONTROLLifiGDEVICE-FOR MOTOR-CARS.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application fi led March 9, 1910. Serial No. 548,513.

Be it knownthat I, lVARRnN A. GREEN- LAw, a citizen of the United States of Americe, and a' resident of Melrose Hig11lands,-in the county of Middlesex and State of Mas.-

sachusetts, have invented certain-new and j useful Improvements, in Lamp-Controlllng Devices for Motor Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

- ating the lam Thisinvention relates to devices for opers of a motor-car and its particular object 1s to control the a'ngularvmovea turn. Its purpose is to provide a means whereby the lamps 011 the side toward wh ch [the turn is being made is moved about its vertical axis by the operation of the steering mechanismzso that the :will light up the road over which the inner turning wheel willpass, the other lamp being left in its normal position so that the rays rays from the lamp therefrom will light up thepath of the outer turning wheel.

The inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be readilyunderstood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan of a portion of a motor car frame, its

ront steering wheel andthesteering mech= anism therefor, showing-mountedon said frame suitable lamps adapted to be'moved about a vertical axis by the operation of said steering me chanism. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of one of the lamps in its supporting bearin showing the devices for moving the lamp a but its axis. Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of the same, portions of the various members being broken in section. Fig.4 represent-s a plan View partially in section. of a portion of the reciprocatlng member forming part of the steering mecha- 'nism and the lamp support operating-finger mounted thereon, and Fig. 5

section through the same, the cutting plane being on line 5+5 on Fig.4.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout thesevera-lfigures of the drawin s.

- n the drawings, 10 represents a chassis or frame of the motor carhaving secured to its free end the transverse member 11 toxeach .end of which is pivoted at 12 a steering wheel 13, these wheels being turned aboutthe pivot to the member 11.

end of which is' represents. a

i 12 by means of the arms 14 and 15 connected ,Wlth one another by the link 16. The arm 15 is provided with anextension 15 which s connected by the draw link 17 to the steerlng mechanism 18, all of the usual constructlon. j It is obvious that when thesteering wheel 1s moved about its axis the steering Wheels are moved about the pivots l2,' this operation causing the link 16 to be movedira'nsversely of the body 10 of the car. Secured to the link 16 are two fingers 19 extending forward. Each of these fingers 19 has an inclined face which normally bears against the downwardly extending arm 20 of a lever pivotally mounted in' a bearing 21 secured The opposite end of this lever has an upwardly extending arm 22 to which is articulated a link 23 the opposite pivotally connected to a radial arm 24 rigidly secured to the lower end of a rod 25. This rod 25 has mounted upon its upper end a forked member or yoke a 26 in which is mounted the usual'lamp 27.

The rod 25 has a bearing in the cylindrical member 28 provided with a flange 29 resting upon the upper edge of a bracket 30 secured to the chassis or frame 10. The member 28 is provided with a suitable lug 31 fitting into a depression in the bracket 30 to prevent said member 28 turning therein. The upperend of'the' member 28 has cut therein one or more notches 32 each provided with an inclined face with which a lug or toe 33 on a collar 34 is adapted to engage. This collar 34 is rigidly secured to the rod 25 and is adapted to oscillate therewith. l I

7 It is obvious that when the 'steerin mechanism 18 is operated to move the link 16 in thedirection of the arrow a on Fig. the two steering wheels 1 will be turned into the position indlcated in 1 of the drawings,

dotted lines in said figure. When the link 16 commences to 'move in the direction of this arrow a the inclined face ofthe finger 19 on the left of Fig. 1 will contactetith the downwardly extending arm 20 of the pivoted lever and move it-about its pivot so that the upwardly extending arm 22 will operate through the lever 23 to cause an os- 'clllation'of the rod 25 to bring the lamp 27 i into such position that the rays therefrom "will'be directed in a line indicatedby the arrow b on Fig. 1, thus'lighting up the road in the direction over which the innersteering wheel will. pass. Theoppositelamp abutment 35 between which and the member I the link 16 serves to retain 28 is a compression spring 36 the tension of which operates upon the anti-friction abutment 35 to normallytretain the toe-33 at the bottom of the notch 32.

It is obvious that when the radial arm 24 ismoved to cause an oscillation of the rod 25 the toe 33 willride up the inclined face of the notch 32and as soon as pressure has been withdrawn from the radial arm 24 the tension of the spring 36 will act upon the abutment 35 to return the toe 33 into its normal position which having been accomplished the lamp will again assume a posi-- tion in which its rays are directed straight ahead in the direction of the arrow 0.

The anti-friction abutment 35 is composed of two disks 37 between which is interposed a plurality of anti-friction members such as the balls 38 the two members bein connected together by.a cup-shaped mem er 39 to prevent the displacement of the various members composing this anti-friction abutment. The whole device rests -u on the nuts'40 threaded to the rod 25 an able thereon to regulate the tension of the spring 36. r Y

The link 16 has clamped thereto a flat sided member 41 preferabl square as indi cated in Figs. 4 and '5, said squared member 41 being adapted to enter a socket in the body portion 42 of the finger 19. A spring 43 interposed between the closed end of this body portion 42 and a collar 44 secured to 42 in engagement with said square 'member 41.

The finger 19 normallyis in the position indicated in Fig; 4 of the drawin but-when the motor car is in use during t e day and it is undesirable touse the lamps the body portion 42 is moved toward the collar 44 against the tension of the spring 43 and until it has cleared the squared portion 41 and the finger19 is then moved through an arc of 180 and permitted to return so that the squared portion..41 againenters the socket in the body portion 42 and retains the finger 19 in inoperative position or in such position that during the operation of the-"steering mechanism the fingers 19' will not contact with the downwardly extending arms 20 and cause any movement of the lamps 27.

It is believed the operation and many advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the foregoing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

w 1. A device for operating the lamps of a adj ustmotor car,

the body ortion motor car, consisting of vertical lamp sup for retaining said lug normally in the bot-- tom of said notch; an anti-friction abutment for said spring surrounding said support; and means operatable by the steering mechanism for oscillating said supports and moving said lug up the inclined wall of said notch against the tension of said spring.

2. A device-for operating the lamps of a motor car, consisting of vertical lamp supports; a bearing for each of said supports in which said supports are movablevertically, said bearings beingprovided .with' notches in their upper faces each having an inclined wall; a member secured to each of said supports having a lug adapted to engage with one of said notches; springs for retaining said lugs normally in the bottom of said notches; a radial arm secured to each-support; a two-armed pivoted *lever for each lamp support; a link between one.

arm -of each lever and one of said radial arms; a reciprocating member formin part of the steering mechanism; and cam gers secured thereto each adapted in its movement to engage the other arm ofone of said levers and move it about its pivot.

3. A device for operating the lamps of a consisting ofvertical lamp supports; a bearing for each of said supports in which said supports are movable vertically, said bearings being provided with notches in their upper faces each having an inclined wall a member secured to each of said supports having a lug adapted to engage with one of said notches; springs for retaining said lugs normally in the bottom of said notches; a radial arm secured to each support; a two-armed ivoted lever for each lamp support; a lin between one arm of each lever and one of saidv radial arms; a reciprocating member forming part of the steering mechanism; cam fingers secured thereto each adapted in its movement to en- 1 gage the other arm of one of said levers and move it about its pivot; and means whereby said cam finger may be moved into an inoperative position.

4. A device for operating the lamps of a motor car, consisting of vertical lamp supports; a bearing for each of said supports 'in which said supports are movable verti-' cally, said bearings being provided with notches in their upper faces each having an inclined wall; a member secured to each of said supports havin engage with one of said notches; a spring for retaining said lug normally in the bota lug adapted to tom of said notch; a radial arm secured to her; and a spring between each collar and each support; a two-armed pivoted lever each finger adapted to retain said finger in for each lamp support; a link between one engagement with one of said flat-sided memarm of each lever and one of said radial here.

5 arms; a reciprocating member forming part Signed by me at 4 Post Oflice Sq., Boston, 15

of the steering mechanism; flat-sided mem- Mass, this 5th day of March, 1910.

bers secured to said reciprocating member; WARREN-A. GREENLAW. cam fingers each provided with a socket Witnesses: adapted to receive one of said flat-sided WALTER E. LOMBARD,

10; members; collars on said reciprocating mem- EDNA C. CLEVELAND. 

